Vince Gilligan is at the top of his game right now. Over the past fifteen years, the writer, producer, and director has managed to create not just one but two of the greatest television shows of all time, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. It's hard to remember, but there was a time when people were nervous about Better Call Saul; how could it ever reach the same heights as Breaking Bad? Now that the prequel series has ended, it's clear that Gilligan and Peter Gould crafted a worthy successor that could even be considered better than the original. Gilligan would be among the all-time greats if he never wrote another word after Better Call Saul or even Breaking Bad (the reputation of The Soprano's creator, David Chase, is a prime example of that), but he is already hard at work on his next show.
Deadline recently announced that Apple TV+ has ordered two seasons of Vince Gilligan's new, currently untitled program from Sony Pictures Television. If Apple's large investment is any indication of the show's quality and not just based on Gilligan's proven track record, we just might have another masterpiece on our hands. It seems that the show is still in the early stages of development, so little concrete information has come out about the project. However, the first details have started emerging, and we've gathered them here for your convenience. Read on to find out what one of television's foremost artists is cooking up for us.
The Plot
The famously tight-lipped Vince Gilligan has revealed very little about the show, providing us with only small indications of what the final product might look like. According to the announcement from Deadline, the project has been "[c]ompared to The Twilight Zone...[and] is said to be set in our world while putting a tweak on it, bending reality and focusing on people and exploring the human condition in an unexpected, surprising way." Despite being described elsewhere as a "blended, grounded genre drama," this is a stark departure from the gritty and realistic setting of Gilligan's most famous works, but it makes more sense when you consider his long stint on The X-Files.
Gilligan has also stated his desire to leave the world of crime and anti-heroes behind. As part of an in-depth interview with The New Yorker, Gilligan expressed nostalgia for older programs like The Rockford Files, Columbo, and Hogan’s Heroes and that he'd "like the lead character to be an old-fashioned hero, an old-fashioned good guy" in his next show. Gilligan also expresses frustration with the overabundance of bad guys on television, "both in fiction and in real life," unlike when he created Walter White fifteen years ago. Given the current trend toward kindness on the small screen, this move makes sense, along with the tonal changes for the project.
The Cast
Vince Gilligan has stated that he wants to avoid returning to the world of Breaking Bad, but that doesn't mean he's unwilling to work with the talent that portrayed his iconic characters. Only one member of his new project's cast has been announced, but it's someone that Better Call Saul fans will get excited about. Along with revealing the show, Deadline also shared that Rhea Seehorn, who portrayed fan-favorite Kim Wexler on Better Call Saul, will star in Gilligan's new project.
Relatively unknown before Better Call Saul outside recurring parts on shows like Whitney and Franklin & Bash, Seehorn wowed audiences with an incredibly nuanced and multifaceted performance. Seehorn gave the constantly conflicted Kim so much depth, all while maintaining her reserved nature. Kim's internal struggles could be seen on Seehorn's face as she attempted to balance being a good wife, lawyer, and person. Gilligan himself is also clearly a fan of her work, saying to Deadline:
“[a]fter 15 years, I figured it was time to take a break from writing antiheroes…and who’s more heroic than the brilliant Rhea Seehorn? It’s long past time she had her own show, and I feel lucky to get to work on it with her.”
Release Date
Sadly, we don't know when this show will come out, let alone get a title. With how early in development the project seems to be, it definitely won't be before the end of 2022. There's a decent chance that the first season could drop sometime next year, but Vince Gilligan's return might not occur until 2024, considering the massive budget and expectations surrounding the show. It will almost certainly be worth the wait, however, considering the bountiful talents of Gilligan and Rhea Seehorn. The good news is that you can probably fit in (another) rewatch of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul before the first episode premieres.